Ready or Not?

Molly is contemplating her junior year of high school. She is happy with her schedule and her life right now. Varsity soccer, captain of the soccer team, student council, dance....the list goes on. As for me, I'm just happy it comes complete with a driver's license. I love you, baby girl.

The Thrill of Victory ??

The Firestone Varsity soccer team just elected this year's captains....don't newly elected Molly and Alana look happy? Remember girls, no whining! Won't early morning Sunday practices be fun??

Twenty and counting..."The Get-away"

David and I spent two nights and three days in Holmes County, Ohio at The Inn at Honey Run. We celebrated twenty years of marriage. Our actual anniversary was in April, but due to our schedules, the girls' schedules, etc., we finally were able to pull it off last week. We had a wonderful time....we read, walked, we talked, we visited the town of Berlin and went to historic Schoenbrun. I found two more cookie cutters to add to my stash and a recipe for Moravian sugar cookies. It was really fun to just be the two of us...something new we are only beginning to enjoy. Kate and Molly did a wonderful job managing the house, the dogs, their jobs and social activities. Kate managed to go to Cedar Point with some H'berg friends and travel to Toledo for a voice lesson. Molly attended the Dave Matthews concert at Blossom, plus dance lessons and SAT tutoring. There was only one mishap... Winston chewed the plug off the vacuum cleaner. (Thank goodness it wasn't plugged in.... I can't imagine a curly coated boxador.... :). I had some insights during our "getaway." One, it is possible for David to live without a blackberry...GASP! The second, you really never "get away." We left a part of ourselves at home on Keith Avenue. Wondering if it would rain at Cedar Point, worrying if Molly would be okay at the concert, hoping the dogs stayed off the couch, and that Paul would mow while we were gone. Just like we leave a piece of ourselves everytime we go to Tennessee. Wondering if mom and dad canned the last bushel of beans, wishing we had some more peaches, thinking about how cute the boss is, and amazed that he is walking. Worrying about those we love. Thanks, David. For twenty pretty wonderful years and for being with me while we never get away.

This. Is. The. Great. Aunt.

Ross the Boss! We had a great day at Center Hill Lake. It was a typical beautiful Tennessee summer day. The Boss and I shared catfish, french fries and hush puppies. Ross had spent several days with me and his Gigi and great grandparents in Crossville. Then, alas, I had to return him to his parents. I think they were worried he might become corrupted or something like that. Highlights of our week: practicing walking, watching Mr. Rogers get an "immunization" which is a special kind of "inoculation," carrying Mrs. Noah around in his mouth, playing with Carlos the bus driver and all the other diverse people on the Fisher Price bus, and canning green beans! We also pondered the eternal question...."Is the Sur La Table spatula really better than the the rubbermaid ones?" Ross seems to think so. Little cutie. Lucky Aunt.

Be careful out there

Molly S. and Kate at graduation, May '08

This is a picture of my daughter Kate and her best friend MollyS. The reason best friend Molly has a special suffix to her name is because of our Molly. Believe it or not, MollyS. has an older sister named Katherine/Katie. You can see how it becomes pretty confusing. Also, Patty, Molly and Katie (and Joseph's) mother is one of my best friends and the sister of my heart. Yesterday morning she was in a serious car accident. It happened in our residential neighborhood. Someone driving a van (and in a hurry) ran a stop sign at a high rate of speed and hit her as she was crossing the intersection. She is in the hospital today, in the pic-unit (one below intensive care) with a fractured ankle, fractured pelvis, internal bleeding, spinal fractions, neck traction and a host of other less serious injuries. She is going to be fine and I know she is receiving the best of care. Her doctor husband promised me :). The guy who hit her walked away from the accident. According to our dog walking neighbors, the van driver had been reported for speeding before. This time it looks like they caught him. Too bad someone had to pay the price. Please pray for Patty's recovery. Pray for her family. And pray for the van driver. Please be extra careful with you and yours today. I love you all.

The End.....(for now)

Well, year 26. It's done. Over. Finished. Fini. It's hard to believe I have taught school this long. It's really remarkable to me because every September it's a new beginning. It's just like starting again. I haven't done anything for 26 years in a row, except breathe! I can't believe I have it in me to stick with anything this long. I've been a sister my whole life, an aunt for 31 years, a student for 19 years, married for 20 years (this time:), been a mother for (nearly) 19, ...you get the idea. I have taught school over half of my life! YIKES!!! I've been teaching sooo long that now parents are asking me, "Mrs. Loar...How much longer do you think you'll be doing this?" That line always cracks me up...."doing this," like I might be involved in some type of nefarious or shady occupation. Anyway, the answer.....until it quits being fun. Until it quits being rewarding. Until I no longer have the passion and excitement to teach. When September rolls around I'll be there.....one more time.

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge--

That myth is more potent than history.

I believe that dreams are more powerful than facts--

That hope always triumphs over experience--

That laughter is the only cure for grief.

And I believe that love is stronger than death.

Robert Fulghum

Home again? (Happy Mother's Day)

Founder's Hall-Heidelberg College

Wow! David and I just spent the better part of yesterday packing Kate's "stuff" to bring her back home after her first year at college. Well! It took about four hours longer than I thought it would, and she had ten times the amount of "stuff" to bring home than she took with her last August. You know, when they were little I thought a lot about the two of them leaving for college one day. I thought about the first day, the moving in, the tearful departure. What I didn't think about was the RETURN!! We left Akron yesterday around 10:00 ...stopped for a leisurely breakfast, and got to HC around 1:00. When we got there, I thought Heather, Kate's roommate, was still there. Alas, no, it was all Kate's "stuff." We packed her car and my car to the brim. Refrigerator, books, musical scores, song books, oboes, sorority paddles, sorority Hbags, assorted purple items of sorority "stuff," popcorn, dishes, hangers, iron, etc...... :) Oh, yes, we also packed towels, sheets, assorted clothing and bedding....ALL DIRTY!! So, what's a mother to do? First, take Kate and her friend Kim to Walmart to buy more assorted "stuff" for the choir trip (plus meet tons of HC students--Tiffin is a small town). Second, send dad down the street to the HC baseball game, Third, grab some bins and get started. Fourth, two hours later call David to come back. Then the three of us make six trips to the dumpster, twelve trips down the elevator, and several trips up and down the stairs. We decide to go eat at Bob Evans (the only game in town) before we take off. We make enough room in the two cars to transport three people. We are just seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, when Kate utters the fateful words....."Oh, Can we stop by Brenneman? I need to pack up my music locker." After squeezing in more "stuff," we head to B.E. for dinner. We ended up seated next to three of Kate's professors, Dr. Vickie Ohls, music, Dr. Younger, honors college, and Kate's sorority advisor. It was nice. We had a great time talking. I'm so glad she is so happy at a place that I have come to love as well. Who knows? Maybe she is just coming home for a visit. Maybe when she returns to Heidelberg in the fall she'll be home again. Home... I guess it really is where your heart is. Happy Mother's Day to my mom. Thanks for giving me the guts and the vision to make a home of my own. I love you.